>> well, that's going to do it for this edition of news 4 today. we'll be back in 25 minutes with a local news update. >> join us again at 9:00. we'll have a full 90 minutes of news then. good morning. getting emotional. lance armstrong breaks down when he talks about admitting to his children that he lied and doped throughout his cycling career. >> i said, don't defend me anymore. don't. >> as he admits hitting a new low when his cancer foundation livestrong dropped him. speaking out, linebacker manti t'eo denies any involvement in the hoax surrounding his make-believe

girlfriend as he opens up for the first time since the scandal broke. and a governor upstaged by a little boy who passes out. this morning he's okay and has a funny story to tell. today, saturday, january 18, funny story to tell. today, saturday, january 18, 2013. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a saturday morning. i'll lester holt. >> i'm erica hill. many people watching lance armstrong -- so. talk about the past nights of interviews. thursday when he sat down with oprah winfrey said he didn't seem that remorseful. part two of the interviewer last night, though, for some was a bit of a change. the disgraced cyclist more emotional, tearing up when he talked about confessing to his kids. one thing i think people were waiting to hear about. >> question is, do tears make a

difference in how people perceive this. in the end, will it rehabilitate his image? this morning, armstrong's teammates and more on the disgraced cyclist's future. we'll update you on the hostage situation in jeealgeria. at least one american hostage is dead. we'll switch gears and leak at the role of scientology. we'll look at a book that explores the relationship between scientology and celebrities. and later, it's been a couple of month now since we all needed to take a moment when the twinkies began disappearing from store shelves. no surprise, there's a new crop of sweet treats looking to fill the void. so how do they measure up? hmm. >> we'll exercise journalistic investigation techniques and -- >> very important investigation. >> in other words, we'll try them and let you know. we want to begin this morning with lance armstrong. finally coming clean about years of doping and lying the whole

time. last night, part two of his interviewer with oprah winfrey where he apologized to his kids and his fans. >> what do you say to those millions of people who believed? >> i say i understand your -- your anger, your -- your sense of betrayal. >> uh-huh. >> you supported me forever, through all of this, and you believed. and i lied to you. and i'm sorry. and i will spend -- i will spend, and i am committed to spending, as long as i have to to make amends. >> lisa bloom is a legal analyst for avo.com, and marvette brittorance her own strategy firm called the britto agency.

thanks for coming on. >> good morning. >> lease alet me start with you. before we talk about -- lisa, let me start with you. before we talk about his career, let's talk about the legal implications. as a lawyer, would you ever let your client confess to what he confessed? >> no lawyer is going to tell you to admit to the kinds of things that lance armstrong has admitted to. there's going to be an launch of criminal and civil proceedings that could follow from this. as a human being, confession is good for the soul. i like to think i'm a human being first so i probably would tell him to go ahead. >> right. he's careful about the timeline of what he confesses to. >> yes. >> does that have anything to do -- is it calculated based on statute of limitations regarding potential criminal liability? >> it's an awful big coincidence, isn't it, that the statute of limitations for perjury has expired. he clearly lied under oath in 2005. but there was a criminal investigation that went on for two years that just concluded in 2012 with no charges being brought. mysteriously in my opinion

because there was a mountain of evidence against him then. with the confession, the criminal investigation into fraud, obstruction of justice, and doping could go forward. >> marvette, we've been down this road, we've seen the movie, know how it ends. american public generally forgiving over time. this was a denial, of course, that wonts fent on for a long t a very outward way. did he do anything in the second part of the interviewer that might have repaired any damage from the first part of the interviewer that ultimately would help him get back? >> he actually did. the first interviewer he was edgy, cocky, sarcastic. all the things you don't want to do when you're apologizing and sit in an interviewer where you hope people forgive you. the second interviewer we saw a more humble lance armstrong. particularly when he talked about the lowest point wch is stepping away from his career of service with the foundation. also, the tough times that his son spent defending his father. that's really the time that you

saw him break which is when he tug ted hea-- tugged at the heartstrings of every person watching the interviewer. >> any time i see public confessions, part of me is what do we want to hear? he admits he lied. is there anything he can say that puts him back in the game either with the public or certainly in a sporting life? >> what we didn't hear from lance which everyone wants to hear is a continual apology. i'm sorry. you really didn't feel warm and fuzzy from his interviewer. in fact, you felt cold. he almost felt distant. it was as if he was doing -- >> the third person. >> exactly. everyone a favor by being here. the interviewer also was too long. he should have just gotten right to the point of what he needed to say and ended it. it was really drawn out. and he was very uncomfortable. >> that may have been out of his control since it was oprah's interviewer. lisa, he's banned from competing, whether a marathon or triathlon. would the various governing bodies cut him any slack at this point? >> i think it's unlikely. i'm surprised, he's 41 years

old. if the motivation for all of this is to get back into sports, it would be years before he'd be allowed to do that. ivil e way, the c ramifications are also hugely significant here. he's worth about $100 million reportedly. and just one lawsuit alone, a federal whistleblower case going on, he could be looking at more than $90 million in damages. triple damages in that case if it continues to go forward. he could be completely wiped out financially. >> right. he said he lost $75 million in sponsorships in one day. could those sponsors that counted on him and dropped him sue him? >> yes. there are so many legal ramifications, we can't go into them all. yes, the sponsorships, defamation case, whistleblower case. all of the people he sued because he said they were liars, and they paid him money, he should have to return that with interest and attorneys' fees. >> thank you for being part of the discussion. appreciate it. erica? thanks. turning to the hostage situation

in algeria. foreign nationals and officials captive in a gas plant in if algeria. at least 12 people have died including one american. we have more from london on the developing story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, erica. well, it's very difficult to get hard facts as the situation in algeria is ongoing. one news agency claims the hostages being held are from four nations. that there are two americans as well as nationals from japan, belgium, and britain. this morning no end in sight to the hostage standoff at a gas plant in algeria, now it its north day. it's thought more than 20 foreigners are still being held hostage by islamic militants or are missing. so far one american has been confirmed dead. the man's family in texas is being comforted by friends. survivors describe the horror they witnessed. "i told them i was not muslim,

and they said, okay, don't be scared. we haven't come for you." he said five people near him were executed. the lucky ones are heading home. >> very, very relieved, obviously. we don't know really what's happened. i couldn't say -- as much as we're glad to be out and our thoughts are with colleagues that are still there at the moment. >> reporter: on thursday, the algerian army began its counterattack to liberate the plant that is deep in the desert, 800 miles from the capital. algerian officials say the army went in because they were about to drive hostages out to another country. speaking in london, leon panetta said the perpetrators will be hunted down. >> they will find no sanctuary, no refuge, not in algeria, not north africa, not anywhere. >> reporter: back at the plant,

the militants and their hostages remain surrounded by algerian special forces. a very tense and terrifying situation for those involved and for their loved ones at home waiting for new. erica? >> for sure. thank you. lester? let's check the morning's other top stories from jenna wolfe. jenna? >> hey, good morning. good morning, everyone. notre dame star linebacker manti t'eo has finally answered questions about his fake online romance. te'o said he did not make up the story about his girlfriend and that the alleged mastermind of the hoax has apologized to him. te'o sat down friday for an exclusive interviewer with espn. te'o also denied using a scheme to improve his chances as a candidate for the heisman trophy last month. he said the hoax actually affected his play in the bcs game which the irish embarrassingly lost to alabama 42-14. we'll have much more on this puzzling story coming up in our 8:30 half-hour. former new orleans mayor ray nagin has been indicted by a

federal injection. the indictment accuses nagin of accepting more than $160,000 in bribes from contractors after hurricane katrina. an already bad flu season still bad. causing more misery across the united states. 48 states now report widespread flu activity, 29 children have been killed, nine more than last week. and we are only halfway through the flu season. hey, you no longer have to worry about what unrgarments you're wearing at the airport. the tsa says the scanners that use a low dose x-ray will be gone by june because the company just can't make them fix the privacy issues. the other scanners which produce a generic outline will be staying. boeing is suspending deliveries of its new 787 jetliner. deliveries of the dreamliner are stopped until the faa approves a solution for the lithium ion batteries that caused the agency to ground the aircraft earlier this week. honda recalling 777,000 late model pilot and odyssey vehicles

due to a problem with the deployment of the driver's side air bags. owners should bring their vehicles into dealerships to have the problem fixed. let me set a seen for you. you're in elementary school, the governor is coming to your school. all you need to do is be sweet and don't faint. one out of two ain't bad. check out this video. pennsylvania's governor, tom corrbet visits a school. and this adorable bay starts swaying, takes a deep breath, and there he goes. ah. passes out. he was carried out of the room. but when he did return, and he did return, he got a little one on one with the governor. you know what else he got? he got a nice little story for share and tell tomorrow. that is the news. back to you. adorable, sweet little thing. adorable. >> i'm glad they're not going to use the machines at the airport anymore. i always have to suck in my gut. i know they're -- they're -- >> yes. >> the biggest problem you've got, lester. >> it wasn't a privacy issue. it was a fat issue. i get that. >> this clears up so much for

me. >> someone's in the room looking, you know that. >> someone somewhere is telling you to cut back on the sweet. no more doughnuts for lester. dylan dreyer has the forecast. good morning. good morning to you guys. think of all the weight you can gain now. >> that's true. >> you're good to go. >> no one's looking. >> we are going to see actually blizzard conditions to good saturday morning to you. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. we're off to a seasonably chilly start outside this morning. temperatures are generally in the low to mid-30s right now. there's a south breeze blowing

that has wind chills back down into the low and mid-20s. a real bundle-up factor. a cold start. plenty of sunshine today. that southwesterly breeze will be with us all day long. it will put temperature near 50 today. a little cooler tomorrow with a northwesterly breeze. >> that is your last forecast. lester? >> thanks. president obama's inauguration weekend is kicking off today with a national day of service. and ron mott is right at the center of things at the washington mall. good morning, what's happening this morning? >> reporter: hey, lester. good morning to you. as you mentioned, activities kick off this weekend. this is one of the ones that really is near and dear to the president's heart and the first lady's heart. that's the national day of service that the president called for four years ago. now this tent that we're on is on the national mall. the washington monument is a stone's throw behind us. it's going to be filled with some of the 800,000 people expected for the inauguration. there are dozens of local and national organizations here that will tell folks how they can help aund the d.c. area and

when they get home in their communities. just two are here. the american red cross is going to be here later on showing people how to save a life with cpr training. and then just across the way is no kid hungry, trying to fight childhood hunger in this country. this is a big problem that they've got -- a big program that they've got set up. and when the president called for this four years ago, it was a way for people to get more involved with the martin luther king holiday. the holiday, of course, is on monday. and so the president is encouraging more americans to volunteer their time. obviously their money is important, as well. volunteer their time to organizations around the country. it has paid off. in 2011, 64.3 million people volunteered. that was a five-year high. the message and the word has gotten out. the president is obviously going to reiterate that today. he and vice president biden and their spouses will be out volunteering today. and we are expecting to see chelsea clinton. she is the honorary chair this year. and eva longoria and angela bassett are also expected. so it's a good assignment for me today. >> pretty good. ron, thanks. we'll be joining you there tomorrow.

all right. erica? >> thanks. what is ahead for the president in his second term and how much time does he really have to get things done before becoming a lame duck? john harwood is cnbc's chief washington correspondent. good morning. nice to see you. >> good morning, erica. >> as we move into the second term, what is the biggest challenge for president obama? >> reporter: the biggest challenge is to secure economic stability, deal with the debt and deficit situation, the standoff he has with republicans. and then get washington out of the way so that the economy can take off. they're their are good signs that the economic recovery is getting into a fairly healthy territory. but the threat to confidence, the uncertainty around the recurring crises we've had over the debt limit, over the fiscal cliff have been an impediment. if he can get that out of the way, he could then move to some of his other priorities and watch the economy grow over the next couple of years. >> i want to talk about the priorities in a second. you brought up this standoff. you know, one point, of course, there were democratic majorities

in the house and senate, making it much easier to get some of those priorities through. now he only has the senate. how will that affect the president's wish list in the second term? >> well, he has the good fortune on the immigration issue which is one of his big priorities after the economic recovery and growth. from the fact that republicans know from the recent election results that they need to get healthy with hispanic voter. they were way on the downside of that growing constituency. very important in swing states out in the west part of the united states, as well as in florida and some of the east coast states, as well. so that is going to push them to the bargaining table on the issue of immigration. he's got less of an auspicious landscape in front of him on issues like energy and climate change. and of course on guns which is an issue that events have pushed to the forefront. he's going to have a rough time getting that priority through the congress. >> you mention immigration being one of those big-ticket items, of course, health care was the

signature big-ticket item of the first term. what else is on the list this time around? >> well, he's got immigration, he's got overseeing the implementation of the health care law which, of course, hasn't really fully taken effect. he's got energy and climate which is really the big undone story from the first term. he did not get that cap and trade bill. and he's not going to get it which means he's going to have to turn to regulatory executive authority to try to achieve some goals there. and then because of newtown and events that have happened during his presidency, he has seen his agenda change to focus on gun control, an issue that democrats had shied away from. and he's just laid out an agenda which is going to be difficult to achieve. that's why he's also trying to use the executive authority as much as he can. >> how much is -- how much time is there overall to achieve an agenda, especially in the second term? is it limited to two years? >> it's not as much as you think. yes, the term is four years, but really what you're looking at is through the 2013 midterm elections and even a little bit less time than that.

once you get to the summer of 2014, members of congress are going to be looking to their own re-elections. that's really when the lame duck effect starts to kick in, when people see their futures tied to different priorities than the president's, that is members of his own party. democratic unity could fray when you get to the latter part of 2014. then of course, after that, the 2016 presidential election is going to be in full gear. and then everybody's going to be focused on that. that's when presidents typically in the end of their second term begin to focus on foreign policy and other sort of legacy goals that don't require congress because congress' attention is elsewhere. >> somehow i think that we're going to blink and it's already going to be moving on to the 2016 cycle. john, thanks. >> you bet. >> tomorrow on "today," we're live in washington with coverage of president obama's second inauguration. we hope you'll join us for that. once again, lester? >> roadtrip. thanks. still reeling from repeated sex scandals, the u.s. air force has released a report revealing hundreds of instances of

pornography on its bases. the investigation was spurred by a female sergeant who risked her career by stepping forward. here's our national investigative report. >> reporter: at mcdill air force base in tampa, wright air force base in ohio, and more than 100 bases around the world, new orders -- search and destroy pornography. >> the first thing that i knew that i saw was this picture here with the breasts. it says, "how do all fighter pilot songs start?" >> reporter: technical sergeant jennifer smith serves at the elites f-16 squadron in south carolina. her whistleblowing helped trigger a worldwide hunt for "lewd, obscene, or pornographic images" ordered in this memo. >> i was hurt that this is how they let off steam or they viewed women. and it made me very uncomfortable that they were so clueless to the fact that they

had women within their squadron. >> reporter: the air force reported on friday that it uncovered 631 pornographic videos and images stored on computer servers or in common areas at bases. as well as more than 31,000 other instances of unprofessional and offensive material including some racial in nature. among the items either removed or destroyed, shot glasses with biki bikini-clad women, nude magazines and films, and derogatory trophies, patches, and songbooks with degrading lyrics like this -- >> who can take two ice picks, stick them in her ears, ride her like a harley while you blank her in the rear? >> reporter: the inspection report is the latest effort by the air force to combat sexual assault and misconduct in its ranks. it comes amid pressure from members of congress. >> it is both shocking and disgusting to me that we allow a

work environment in the military, specifically in this case in the air force, that is so hostile to women. and i believe heads should roll. >> reporter: an air force spokesman confirmed that investigations have been launched into those responsible for the pornography and that some personnel may be subject to possible court-martials. this kind of material, the spokesman said, is not acceptable in this day and age. for "today," nbc news, washington. there's a lot more to come on "today," including an inside look at the church of scientology. why is tom cruise such an important member? we'll ask the author of a book that examine the ties between scientology and celebrities. first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come, answers to your pressing real estate questions including whether now is the best time to buy even if you're struggling to come up with a down payment. plus, how has four years in

the white house aged president obama?

good morning. it is 7:26 on this saturday, january 19th. i'm richard jordan. today kicks off the inauguration festivities around town. that includes the inauguration day of service today on the national mall. president obama is urging people to give back to their communities today. today also coincides with martin luther king jr. day. today and tomorrow metro will not have any track work going on, but on monday there will be closures at the smithsonian, archives, and mt. vernon square stations because of security reasons.

the stations that remain open will be charging for peak times for 17 hours straight. and there will be plenty of security on hand for the weekend. metro police swore in 6,000 men and women of the national guard to help out. meanwhile, staff from 42 agencies will operate the joint inaugural command center where they can monitor cameras from across the district and there will be a 30-mile no-fly zone in effect. storm team 4 meteorologist ch

good morning. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. bright sunshine now coming up in our eastern sky. it is plenty chilly, though, when you factor in a substantial south breeze. windchill temperatures are in the low to mid-20s. it will be a pleasant day today filled with sunshine. it'll stay breezy. highs today in the mid to upper 40s for most. a little bit cooler tomorrow.

the winds will come back around from the northwest tomorrow. it'll be dry all weekend. chuck, thank you. more news and weather in 25 minutes. now let's go back to the "today" show. we're back on this saturday morning. half past the hour, january 19, 2013. great crowd out here on the plaza. nice to have them there. a lot of effort went into those signs. i like it. we'll head outside and say hello in just a little while. i'm erica hill alongside lester holt. coming up in this half-hour, scientology and its celebrity followers. hollywood a-listers like tom cruise and john travolta are members of the church of scientology. a new book looks at the relationship between the controversial church and hollywood. we're going to speak with the author of that book in a live interviewer. then, notre dame linebacker manti t'eo speaks out and

answers questions over how did he not know that his girlfriend never existed. plus, if you were thinking of buying or selling a home, maybe you're struggling with your mortgage payments, you're in luck. barbara corcoran is here to answer your real estate questions. later, what a difference four years can make. we'll look at how president obama has changed since coming to the white house. the physical changes. i guess we all go through after four years. but most of us aren't running a country. >> no. there's maybe a slooiight bit m stress. >> i think he looks good. >> you don't see a difference? >> we're all different four years later. i think -- well -- >> we'll get into that. >> we'll let you be the judge. first, we want to head out to the plaza for a check of the weather from dylan. good morning. >> good morning. a very chilly morning on the plaza. we've got a grandma and grandpa to say hi to. where are they? >> in florida. >> what do you want to say? >>

good morning once again. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. air temperatures in the low 30s right now but the windchill temperatures are in the low to mid-20s. so a thick winter coat needed first thing this morning. here's your forecast for today. plenty of sunshine. temperatures today moving into the upper 40s to near 50 for a lucky few. it'll are e main breezy today. southwest winds today become a northwest tomorrow.

comer air comes our way for inauguration day monday and the rest of the week. >> for the latest on a chilly forecast, you can get your weather on weather.com. erica? >> thanks. a controversial new book about the church of scientology explores the connection between hollywood and the church. in a moment we'll talk to award-winning author lawrence wright about his latest book. first, rock center's harry smith looks at scientology's seduction of stars. >> reporter: as seen in this church video, there may be no more powerful marketing tool than the cult of celebrity. and perhaps there is no more important scientologist than actor tom cruise. l. ron hubbard, known as lrh, courted stars from the beginning. >> tom cruise has introduced lrh technology to over one billion people of earth. >> i think it's a privilege to call yourself a scientologist. >> reporter: here cruise is being awarded scientology's first freedom medal of valor by

church leader david miskavich. winning author lawrence wright has written a book called "going clear: scientology, hollywood, and the prison of belief." >> these stars have been, in my opinion, exploited to advance sielg willing to -- scientology. so people join it because of them. and therefore, i think they have a tremendous moral responsibility to know what actually is happening inside the church. >> reporter: harry smith, nbc news, new york. >> again, lawrence wright's book is called "going clear: scientology, hollywood, and the pris of belief. id "nice to see you. >> nice to be here. >> stars like tom cruise are the public face of scientology. you believe they have a tremendous moral responsibility to look at what's happening inside the church. what do you mean by that? >> i mean the physical abuse of people inside, the clergy, the c-org as they call it, the

recruitment of children at very, very young ages into the organization where they sign billion-year contracts of service at minimal wages. i mean less than minimum wage, of $50 a week. and their loss of education, the total control environment that many scientologists live in. this is something that i think really need to be examined. >> as you know, the church has said and said to us at nbc news, "there is no hard evidence," in their words," that show such conduct ever occurred when abuse is brought up up. people making the accusations are not credible. those people have no corroborating evidence other than their agreement to lie. but the truth cannot be found and the okoh of that same lie repeated multiple times." we reached toout to tom cruise,e didn't get a direct response. you talk about hollywood and celebrity. l. ron hubbard, as was pointed out in the piece, courted stars. why are celebrities so important, do you think, to the

church of scientology? >> it's product endorsement. from the very beginning of scientology where they set up the church in los angeles, that's where it was originally begun, l. ron hubbard had an idea that celebrities would be the way to success for the church. and there was a list of celebrities they had on their desired celebrity -- walt disney, marlena dietrich, bob hone, these were ideals, and never reeled in anybody like that until they got tom cruise. >> there are a number of people who are members -- the church has members of members. clearly they must get something out of this religion and of this faith. what do you think they are getting out of scientology? >> let's start with millions of members which the church says that they have. according to census figures, 25,000 people in the u.s. call themselves scientologists. that's half the number of rastafarians. in the entire world there may be 30,000. this figure, millions of scientologists, is another one

of those unsupported statements by the church that they're constantly putting out with no evidence about it at all. >> there's been a lot of reaction to your book, as you know. >> yes. >> the church has dismissed it. they have questioned your credibility, calling your sources liars. and both the canadian and the british versions of your book at the last minute are now not being published. the church says the reason is because it's false. and that it's defamatoriy. how do you respond? >> i know the church came here and talked to your executives. and you asked them to be on camera. where are they? did you ask david miskavich to come on and defend the allegations against him? where is he? i am here. i'm willing to stand behind my words. i think the church needs to produce some answers, not just accusations. >> we have talked with them, you heard what they responded in the statement that i read. in terms of the publication, why in your money they say it's because the book is false. that's why it's not being published in the u.k. and

canada. what's your reaction to that? >> right. i've been asked by penn, the international writers organization, to go to the u.k. and talk to members of parliament because of their libel laws that prevent them from publishing such things as my book which they badly want to do. >> you believe that's the reason why. >> oh, yes. i mean -- i'm desperate to get it published in the u.k., and i think we will. >> you've spent a long time working on this obviously. >> oh, yes. >> has your perspective at all in scientology changed in all the research that you've done and people you've spoken with? >> yes, absolutely. you know, i've talked to a lot of people that have been brought into this church. and many of them are really very fine people. they're not cranks, they're intelligent, they're skeptical. and yet, step by step, they were brought in to a way of thinking that in many ways caused them a lot of harm, broke up families, caused children to be recruited into this organization. it's -- it's caused more tears

in this story than any other story i've ever been involved in. >> larry wright, there's a lot to talk about. good to have you here. thank you. >> thank you. >> it book is called "going clear: scientology, hollywood, and the prison of belief." ahead, does being president age you more quickly than everyone else? we'll look at president obama after four years in the oval office. up next, your real estate questions answered including whether it's ever a good idea to walk away from your mortgage. i've discovered gold.

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attorney on "open house," the answers to your real estate questions. barbara corcoran is dipping into our mail bag to help with your housing problems. good morning. >> good morning, lester. >> the mail sandbag so dated. our first question ces from skie skype this morning. mandy, what's your question? >> our house has been on the market for over a year. due to a job change we've moved, and it's been vacant for six month. we've lowered the asking price but have had few lookers. what can we do to get an offer? >> little detail. she said her house is on the market, she's had a job change, the house has been vacant, hasn't been a lot of lookers. how does she get people in? >> i think we have photos that she sent in which is helpful for the viewers at home. what the situation here is, it's an empty house. empty houses look down on their luck, they never sell well. what she's got to do truly,

mandy, is put some money into that house, not a lot. i would say about $5,000. it looks neglected. it's a charming house when you look t bones, but buyers just don't see through the mess actually to really see the charm of the house. you're going to have paint the outside or steam clean. you have to whitewash the walls with the inside, get rid of old carpeting and replace it. even though it's hard to put $5,000 out, there's no way you'll sell it without putting in the work. >> and you're a big believer in staging, putting furniture in? >> definitely. a lot of people think staging is an expensive option. it's not. you call your local broker, say, who does this well, fast, and hire that person. >> next question. there's an e-mail one. jessica in pennsylvania who writes, "my husband and i have been renting and saving for a down payment. with the market so buyer friendly right now, we would love to buy a house soon. however, we would only be comfortable paying a 10% down payment instead of the optimal

20%. should we wait and keep saving or buy soon while the rates are low?" a lot of questions in there. >> yeah. it's a pretty simple answer. first of all, you think you need a larger down payment, that's not the case. you can get an fha loan for 3.5% down and a loan that comes to 5%. you need a credit score of 640 to qualify which most people certainly have. also, the prices in fill rerising up. they've -- in philly are rising up. they've turned the corner so there's no sense in waiting. even if prices, there the average house is $210,000 goes up by 5%, you can't save fast enough to catch up to it. she should get into the market right now and buy that house. >> okay. good answer. then here's a viewer e-mail from omar in massachusetts. omar writes, "with the market being slow, my wife and i were wondering if it's easier to give the house back to the bank. we're currently struggling to make the mortgage payments and feel if we give it back to the bank we won't have to struggle to pay it until it gets sold. we owe less than it's worth.

besides credit damage, what other penalties would we incur?" ? >> handing a property back is a last resort. there's no reason for omar to do that because he said the house is worth more than the mortgage. he'd be much better off reducing the price to get the house sold because destroying your credit comes with a lot of strings attached. for example, you don't get another -- you can't get another car loan for a reduced rate because they charge you more on the interest. if you're going to get a new job, they typically today check your credit rating -- >> would this be as bad as a foreclosure? >> it's exactly the same as a foreclosure. >> same thing? >> exactly. there's no reason in this situation to actually do that. >> barbara corcoran, thank you very much. good to have you here as always. >> my pleasure. next, a look at how four years in the oval office has changed president obama. one. two. three. my credit card rewards are easy to remember with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card. earn 1% cash back everywhere, every time.

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that's four years ago. his hair was2010. things are getting gray, 2011. somebody spilled the salt. i know that story well. and 2013. you know, i think -- i don't think those are massive changes. his hair a little bit -- >> just his hair. >> a guy around 50, that's -- >> for being president you'd expect, you know, more weathered, i feel like just the hair's okay. >> not like it's an easy job. >> of course it begged the question, you know, how did we do in the time -- as time goes by, has it been kind to us? who knows. well, here's erica. >> hasn't changed a bit. >> about the same. >> not at all. >> no stretch -- >> seriously. skillqually -- although stress marks -- >> less happy. >> and less weight in the face. better eating and better exercise. yeah. >> yeah. >> longer hair. totally the same. the hair, that's it. >> i still look 7 years old. >> and dylan, let's see dylan. look at that.

>> cute. >> my smile's changed, hair's changed. >> i don't think any of us have really changed. >> which shows that we're not working as hard as the president. >> do not say that out loud while the bosses are watching, i'd appreciate it. yeah. >> always a fun exercise. we'll check back with eight years. >> yes, see how that goes. >> yeah. ahead, lance armstrong gets emotional when talking about his decision to come clean. is it too little, too late? we'll talk to two men who have known the disgraced cyclist for years, including one of his former teammates.

still to come, washington, d.c., gears up for president obama's inauguration. plus, the notre dame football star player caught in the middle of the fake girlfriend hoax speaks out for the first time. first, these messages. thing. this year, don't just take time off. put time in. turn spending time with your family into spending time as a family.

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time now is 7:56 on this saturday, january 19th, 2013. good morning. i'm richard jordan. we are counting down to the inauguration. the festivities start today with a national day of service on the mall. that beginning at 9:30. the first family urges all americans to help honor dr. martin luther king jr. then tomorrow, president obama and vice president biden are officially sworn in. the public inaugural ceremonies happen monday. today, metro is selling its collective inauguration trip

card. riders can buy the preloaded cards for $15 until 10:00 p.m. the cards will also be for sale tomorrow. metro is urging riders to avoid using paper tickets because of crowds at the machines. a road in northwest d.c. is closed this morning after a deadly shooting overnight. officers were called to the 2700 block of georgia avenue northwest around 2:30 this morning. a man was found outside chuck & billy's lounge. he was pronounced dead a short time later. we're going to check your inauguration forecast next. flarn there is no mass-produced human.

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exclusively at one of our 400 sleep number stores nationwide. sleep number. comfort individualized. save $500 on our special edition bed set. plus, 48-month financing on all beds. now at the sleep number white sale. good saturday morning, everybody. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. windchills are in the low and mid-20s right now. even though there's bright sunshine out there first thing this morning, you definitely need your winter coat, mittens, hat and scarf. our cold start will lead to a fairly pleasant enough afternoon.

highs today into the upper 40s to near 50. it will remain breezy for much of the afternoon. windbreakers will be a big part of your saturday plan. tomorrow, plenty of sunshine kben. just a little cooler. much colder by monday. chuck, thank you. another news update in 25 minutes. welcome back to "today," saturday morning, the 19th day of january, 2013. a cold winter morning -- i mean cold. we've hit like -- >> we've arrived at winter. >> a real winter. it hasn't kept the crowd come from coming on the plaza. we'll say hello to them and say hello in a bit. our thanks to them for spending part of their saturday with us. i'm loelester holt along with ea hill. coming up, lance armstrong's bombshell admission that he used drugs. he came clean to oprah winfrey. we saw part two of the

interviewer last night. he confessed to his family about losing millions in lost endorsements. should armstrong be allowed to compete in any way ever again? we'll ask one of his former teammates and cycling insider who spoke with armstrong this week. ahead, the scandal involving notre dame linebacker manti t'eo. he'd been keeping a low profile for days. now he's actually speaking out for the first time since it was revealed that his girlfriend never existed. you'll hear who he says is to blame for the hoax. then a new look in time for a new term for first lady michelle obama. i'm a guy, i wouldn't notice. you know how -- >> you'll notice this in march is how it would work. >> she changed her hair. she's got bangs, i'm told. it's got people weighing in with opinions -- >> yes, they're called bangs. >> i'm serious, i probably wouldn't have noticed unless somebody said something. we'll fill you in with reaction coming up. >> did you know that dylan got bangs a couple of months ago? >> i did. a couple of months ago. he hadn't noticed. then, from the first lady and dylan to the president, from the small screen to the silver

screen, the role of the president, a hollywood favorite. hear why some are better than others when it comes to their presidential performance. no pressure there when you're going up against daniel day lewis. >> we've got a lot to get to. we'll start with lance armstrong and his latest on-arad mission about u-- on air-admission about using performance enhancing drugs. he opened up to oprah about confessing to his children. >> reporter: for 13 years, lance armstrong lied to the world about taking performance enhancing drugs. it wasn't the lifetime ban from cycling, the loss of sponsors, or even stepping down from his foundation that made him face the truth. it was, he told oprah winfrey, his 13-year-old son, luke. >> when this all really started, i saw my son defending me. and saying, "that's not true.

what you're saying about my dad is not true." and it almost goes to this question of why now. he can't -- yeah. that's when i knew i had to tell him. >> reporter: for a few moments, armstrong's confident persona dissolved in the second half of the interview on own as he recalled telling his three oldest children. >> i said, i want you to know that it's true. >> reporter: he did not want his kids to live with this in their lives. >> i told luke, i said --

>> i said, "don't defend me anymore." >> reporter: while apologizing for doping, armstrong took issue with his lifetime ban, especially since teammates who implicated him got six-month suspensions. >> i deserve to be punished. i'm not sure that i deserve a death penalty. >> reporter: he wants to compete again. >> would i like to run the chicago marathon when i'm 50? i would love to do that, and i can't. >> reporter: cheating closed that door as well as future income from sponsors. nike, trek, anheuser-busch all leaving one day last october in the wake of the u.s. anti-doping agency's report detailing how armstrong got away with it for so long. >> that was a -- i don't know.

that was a $75 million day. >> that just went out of your life. >> gone. >> gone. >> reporter: but the lowest moment, he said, was when livestrong asked him to step down as chairman and eventually the board. >> the foundation is like my sixth child. and to make that decision and to step aside was -- that was big. >> reporter: once the toast of the sports world, lance armstrong is now tainted by his own deception and lies. for "today," anne thompson, nbc news, new york. scott mercier is lance armstrong's former teammates, and bill strickland is "bicycling" editor at large. his magazine published a cover story accusing armstrong of using performance enhancing drugs. good morning to both of you. thanks for coming on. >> good morning. >> bill, you spoke to lance armstrong earlier in the week,

why did he ultimately decide come forward in your opinion? >> i -- it's always complex with him. he always has multiple motives. i really believe that he's kind of hit rock bottom. that he's cracked. five or six weeks ago, we had a short conversation, he didn't go into details, but he was talking about how hard it was with his kids. and i think that was a turning point for him. >> this is a story of a guy who wanted to win at all costs. it tells us about his sense of wanting to compete. that's what it's all about. he believes, you think that he can compete again? >> he -- he does. i mean, like a shark needs to swim and he needs to compete. it's just part of who he is. >> scott, you were teammates in 1992 and 1994, the world championships. what was it like to watch him confess, knowing in your mind the truth already? >> you know, the part that you just showed where he was explaining, talking to luke and what he had to do with his children. my wife called me six months ago when this was breaking said,

aren't you glad you're not sitting down with your children tonight and telling them his to cheat and lie to win. and the winning at all costs mentality, i think this is a story bigger than lance, bigger than cycling. goes to the core of ethics manner, doing things the right way manner. it seems whether business, politics, the country's fed up. hopefully we're seeing a cultural shift that how you do things is more important than the result. >> you faced this conundrum when you raced. you saw the doping. >> i did. i walked away. i wasn't pressured to dope. but it was a decision where i felt i was going to have cross that bright line. i wanted to win so badly in '92 at the olympic games that i swallowed my own vomit. that's how badly i wanted it. everything within my power to win the race. when it came to the decision that i was going to have classmate and lie to my family and friends, his to walk away. >> bill, it was lance armstrong in front of oprah. do you think there are a lot of racers, cyclists squirming watching that? >> from that era specifically,

certainly. i think we are in a cleaner place right now. the same way you can't eradicate jaywalking, i think you'll never get cheating out of any sport, even cycling. but from the epo era, there were certainly a lot of people who still have stories to tell, i think. >> scott, is there redemption in a case like this? a guy who has denied it for so long and went after those who accused him? should he be redeemed? should he be able to race or compete again? >> you know, i think redemption is the key things to focus on. everybody is worthy of redemption. i think it's what you do to earn that. whether he does the right things to earn that is not for me to say. i think everybody at some point can earn redemption. >> gentlemen, good to talk to you. scott mercier, bill strickland, appreciate you being here. once again, erica. as inauguration preparations are underway in washington, d.c., final hours here now, the president and the city are gearing up for the biggest events which will take place on monday. that's when hundreds of thousands of people are expected to line the streets.

white house correspondent kristin welker has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: erica, good morning to you. the crowds aren't expected to be quite as big as they were back in 2009, but they're not going to be small. in fact, just today hundreds of thousands are expected to turn out in all 50 states to participate in a day of service aimed at kicking off this historic weekend. ♪ >> reporter: as washington gears up for the nation's biggest party, people from all around the country are arriving ready to celebrate. >> it's just one of those things i think you should do. and it's one of those things, it's on my -- on the bucket list. >> we believe that he does hold the problems for the future and wanted to be part of it. we came all the way from california. >> reporter: dress rehearsals commenced while crews fanned out across the city to put on the finishing touches, covering the mall to protect it from the big crowds. and getting the d.c. convention center in shape for monday's two

inaugural balls down from ten last time. still, organizers say with as many as 40,000 expected, the night will be monumental. >> this inaugural is not just to celebrate -- a celebration of the president but a celebration of the country and the country's people. >> reporter: 10-year-old miles brown will attend the children's concert tonight. a young boy who seems to understand the big event he's about to witness. >> this is a once in a lifetime. so it -- so this is history. >> reporter: and security is paramount. helicopters and jets will enforce a 30-mile no-fly zone and will be especially tight along the parade route which begins at the u.s. capitol and travels down pennsylvania avenue, passing iconic sites before ending at the white house. and the president is also getting ready. an administration official says he is finishing work on the inaugural address with key speechwriters. sources say it will touch on familiar themes including the importance of finding common political ground like he did in

2009. >> on this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. >> reporter: as the country awaits this year's message, the nation's capitol is preparing to match the moment. now because the law states that a president has to take the oath of office on january 20, president obama will have a private swearing-in ceremony on sunday here at the white house. and then his public swearing-in on monday all as he gets ready for another four years in office. erica? >> thanks. kristin, we'll be seeing you and our other colleagues tomorrow when we're there for the inaugural. >> our road trip. we're heading down including jenna wolfe who is here with another check of the headlines. hey, good morning. good morning, everyone. the u.s. is working to free american hostages still being held by militants in algeria. frederick butossio is the only american killed so far. the state depend was able to confirm that to his family in

suburban houston. algerian troops are battling gunmen who have taken control of a natural gas complex. the militants want to trade american hostages for the release two of convicted terrorists held in the u.s. the u.s. state department says it will not negotiate with terrorists. meanwhile, in neighboring mali, the state department is pulling families of diplomats out of the country and warning americans not to travel there. french troops are battling islamic militants there as north africa becomes increasingly unstable. here at home, it is very much the flu season. 48 states now describe the flu outbreak as widespread. 29 children have died from the disease already. doctors at the centers for disease control think the flu season may be nearing its peak. the government is going to gets rid of those very revealing airport security scanners come june under orders from congress. screeners will only use machines that produce a generic body image. house republicans are offering a debt ceiling deal rather than risk a new financial crisis. they will allow new government

borrowing for three months, but they insist the senate must pass a budget within those three months. and to add more pressure to get a deal, they promise to withhold paychecks for whichever chamber, house or senate, doesn't pass a budget. officials have issued a high surf advisory for the northern california coast this weekend. the good news -- that's just about perfect for 24 of the world's top surfers who are waxing down their boards for a big wave competition in half moon bay that starts on sunday. the bad news -- the other seven billion people in the world can't swim there. that is the news. guys? back to you guys. >> thank you. >> you're from that area, aren't you -- >> yeah, yeah, no. i wouldn't ever surf. >> you're in the seven billion part. >> we'll be on the beach. >> yeah. >> i used to sit on half moon bay and watch it. exactly. dylan dreyer has another check of the forecast. >> good morning, guys. a couple of birthdays from texas. how old are you turning? >> 12. >> how about you? >> i'm turning 12.

>> are you really turning 12? >> yeah, actually. >> awe. some happy birthday to you guys. we are seeing a pretty chilly good morning. we're off to a chilly but sunshine-filled start on your saturday morning. temperatures are generally in the low to mid-30s right now. windchills are back down into the low and mid-20s. so the southwesterly breeze

today will allow for a nice warmup. highs today in the upper 40s to near 50 degrees. windchills will stay in the upper 30s. turning a little cooler tomorrow. still breezy with a westerly and northwesterly wind. cold on monday. >> i've turned now. the wind is just working with my hair better this way. erica? >> it looks great, dylan. thanks. still to come, new information about the hoax surrounding notre dame football star manti t'eo. he is speaking out now about his relationship with a girlfriend who never existed. next, it is a new hairstyle for first lady michelle obama. she's got bangs. and as you can imagine, that has people talking. we'll be right back. what can we do with a brand new year, and a room that needs refreshing? we can work with a new collection of carpet that proves durable can be softer than ever. we can get for less and spread that softness even further. turns out, we can do even more than we thought we could. because this is the year of doing.

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grown in america. picked and packed at the peak of ripeness. the same essential nutrients as fresh. del monte. bursting with life. it doesn't take much for the first lady to create a buzz. her every move down to the color. her nail polyissue is closely watched -- polish is closely watched. it should be no surprise that her new haircut has people talking. michelle franzen with the story. >> reporter: with a snip and a snapshots, first lady michelle obama kicked off a new look and conversation over, yep, bangs. and the reviews are mixed. >> i like the way it used to be. it looked smoother, and -- like more professional. >> i give it a thumbs down. she gives it a thumbs up. >> yeah. thumbs up. i think it's cute on michelle. >> yeah, i think it's retro. looks nice. back in fashion. >> reporter: the first lady

debuted her birthday haircut on her new twitter page and in a video for the president's organizing for action initiative. >> last year we did something truly extraordinary. >> reporter: since then, the internet has been buzzing with tweets about the new do. was also the hot topic on tv from the "today" show -- >> oh, cute. >> reporter: to "live with kelly and michael." >> it's bang friday. she bangs, she bangs. [ applause ] >> reporter: the first lady became a fashion role model at her husband's inauguration four years ago. her look from gowns to everyday sweaters and skirts and those arms are closely watched and copied. >> she owns her style. so whether it's those skirts that she wears to the knee, whether it's trying out new designers nobody's heard of, whether it's supporting j. crew or doing the bangs at the age of 49, michelle sets the trend. >> reporter: the fringe is also the latest trend for celebrities from jennifer lopez, jessica

bi biel, and kerry washington, to kate middleton's face-framing locks. it is the first lady's bangs that will likely draw the most attention, especially leading up to inauguration day. >> here in d.c., we've got a ton of celebrities that are in town. you've got every major politician. you even have world leaders. this is michelle's way of saying you know what, i'm joining twitter. and by the way, check out my new do, i'm looking pretty good. >> reporter: for "today," michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. >> thoughts? >> let the bang craziness begin. that's what's going to happen. >> you think? >> i think everybody tries them for a second. then they grow out in a couple weeks anyway. >> i am not -- i can't pull it off. i realized that after i moved on from my spiked hair, lion's mane that i had in middle school. >> if it would cover my receding hairline, i'd go for it. >> we'll get you out clip-on bang. >> that would look nice. >> might have to go there. we'll see. ahead, neither dame linebacker -- notre dame

linebacker manti t'eo talks about the hoax with a girlfriend that never existed.

still to come, why taking on the role of the president is one of hollywood's favorite political pastimes. plus, they look like twinkies, but can they really fill the void? [ all kids ] faster! ok, what's fast? um, my mom's car and a cheetah. okay. a spaceship. a spaceship. and what's slow? my grandma's slow. would you like it better if she was fast? i bet she would like it if she was fast. hm, maybe give her some turbo boosters. tape a cheetah to her back. tape a cheetah to her back? seems like you have thought about this before. [ male announcer ] it's not complicated. faster is better. and the iphone 5 downloads fastest on at&t 4g. ♪

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good morning. it is 8:26 on this saturday, january 19th. i'm angie goff. we are counting down to inauguration. the festivities start today with a national day of service on the mall starting at 9:30. the first family urges all americans to help honor dr. martin luther king jr. tomorrow, president obama and vice president biden are officially sworn in. the inaugural ceremonies happen on monday. today and tomorrow metro will not have any track work going on, but on monday there

will be closures at the smithsonian and mt. vernon stations because of security reasons. the stations will be charging for peak times for 17 straight hours. soon, all d.c. cabs will be able to take your credit card. the d.c. taxicab commission announced yesterday that all cabs will be required to accept credit card by march 30th. d.c. cabs were originally all going to get the same smart meter as part of a $35 million contract with verifone systems, but that deal was overturned because of a flawed contract process. so now the commission says cab owners can get credit card readers from any company that produces them. at 8:27, chuck bell has a look at your forecast.

it's great to finally see the sun out, but chuck, it's not going to give us much help. it's pretty cold. >> it is off to a very chilly start this morning. you're definitely right about that. windchill temperatures early though morning are generally in the 20s now. 27 downtown, 24 the current windchill in the panhandle of west virginia. 19 down in charlottesville. today's forecast, plenty of sunshine. it will stay breezy. winds out of the southwest at 15 miles per hour. highs today up close to 50 degrees. turning cooler tomorrow as a northwest wind returns. that's the leading edge of some colder and colder weather coming our way. it's going to be down right

chilly for inauguration day on monday. temperatures will stay in the 30s. >> frigid. thanks, chuck. we have your inauguration coverage coming up on news 4 today, including live reports from down on the mall for today's national day of service. also, al roker is going to be in the house talking to us about his inspirational story. and we are back on this beautiful saturday morning. january 19, 2013. the lovely crowd here on the plaza. nice to have you with us. you went silent just as the cameras came back on. [ cheers ] >> there we go. i'm erica hill alongside lester holt, jenna wolfe, and dylan dreyer. still to come in this half-hour of "today," notre dame football star manti t'eo, a lot of talk about him and what happened. he's speaking out about the hoax that involved what turned out to

be a fictional girlfriend and what he found out about the scam. we'll get to that in a moment. on this inauguration weekend, we're going to be talking about the presidency and pop culture. it is in to play the president from tv to movies, "abraham lincoln" on the big screen to president obama on "snl." playing the president is in. we'll look at why and the impact our fictional presidents are making on the entertainment world. and then we are nothing if not resourceful as a culture. and here is the proof. this dad used a vacuum clear to create the perfect ponytail for his daughter. wii. we're going to look at some the most talked about viral videos and show a couple of new ones that you may not have seen. >> does that qualify for "don't try this at home"? >> a little bit. later, if it looks like a twinkies and smells like a twinkie, it should taste lake a twinkie, right? we'll see. it's been about two months since the popular snacks disappeared off the store shelves. since then, new cream-filled sponge cakes have taken their place. we'll find out how they stack

up. here jenna will be doing the taste test. >> sure. all of it. >> the story was jenna's idea, actually. >> what? >> you were mourning the twinkie. it was your idea. >> a little bit. and we'll see -- >> part of her workout routine. >> it is. lift twinkey. dylan? >> we're complaining, it's cold. almost the taste your breath away kind of cold that we haven't seen too much this winter. the skies are blue. we'll see

good saturday morning. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. it's a bright and sunny start to your weekend. man, it sure is nice to have the sunshine back. temperatures are in the mid-30s around washington right now. low 30s out to the north and west. there's a noticeable breeze outside today. that southwesterly wind will be with us all afternoon long. actual air temperatures will get near 50 degrees today, but windchills will be about 38 to 43 degrees. a little bit cooler tomorrow and turning cold for the early parts >> i found this little girl here. you love your grams. i do, too. what do you want to say to her? >> hi, grandma! >> where does she live? >> illinois. >> illinois. so hi, grams in illinois. erica? >> doing a dance there to stay warm. thank you. notre dame linebacker manti t'eo insists he had no role in the bizarre hoax involving his

girlfriend who we've now learned never existed. in an interviewer friday night, he told espn he was fooled by a person who has since apologized to him. as we report, many questions remain about the elaborate scheme. >> reporter: in manti t'eo's first comments since the hoax was revealed, he told the espn network he wasn't absolutely sure until this week it was a hoax. >> he was completely composed, self-assured. >> reporter: to the question was he part of the hoax in any way, he answered no, never. never, not ever. espn said he did admit he'd given the impression in several interviews that he met the girlfriend who never existed when he never had. the imaginary girlfriend became part of the manti t'eo story back in september. the star linebacker said his beloved grandmother had died on the same day the girlfriend he admits he only knew on line had succumbed to leukemia. he played that week anyway because, he said, she'd wanted

him to. his grief achieving the status of lore. >> there were experiences like the michigan game when i lost my girlfriend and grandmother, i was -- that was possibly the hardest time of my life. >> reporter: notre dame says when he was voted runner up for the heisman trophy december 8, he'd already guessed of the hoax and yet said this -- >> i'll never forget the time when i found out that, you know, my girlfriend passed away. ♪ >> reporter: te'o told espn that an aspiring musical performer and football star, ronaiah tuiasosopo, admitted that he was behind the hoax. his ex-coach said he was shocked at the allegation. >> makes no sense. ronaiah has never been that kind of kid. >> reporter: what about the girl in the picture? the picture apparently stolen and used without her knowledge that te'o said he believed was his online girlfriend. he said earlier in a statement he knows there was no girlfriend who died, no girlfriend at all.

that he was just the victim of someone's sick sdwroek a-- sick joke and constant lies. cassfishing, they call -- catfishing, they call it. notre dame's athletic director now says that while he and the university stand behind te'o, the star will have to tell the whole story. >> we think it's important and would like to see it happen sooner rather than later. >> reporter: crisis manager jonathan wilcox agrees that te'o has to face the music and every question. >> he's going to have to come up with a plausible descriptive narrative of why this happened, a believable story. >> reporter: because to many, it's nowhere near believable yet. for "today," nbc news, los angeles. up next, the role of the president played out on the big and the small screen. first, these messages. secrets.

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it's been said that politics makes for strange bedfellows. politics can also be fodder for entertainment especially when poke fun at the commander in chief. whether it's political satire --

>> from here on out, we do it my way. >> or intense melodrama -- >> i wish you would have given me this written question beforehand -- >> taking on the role of the president has become hollywood's favorite political pastime. >> i am not a crook. >> tv series with fictional presidents also offer a glimpse into the inner workings of the white house. >> it's fun to laugh at the president. it's fun to laugh at politics and these crazy characters in washington. it can also be a launching pad for careers. >> there are a lot of points i want to make tonight. >> reporter: 25-year-old jay farrow debuted his obamapression on "saturday night live" last -- obama impression on "saturday night live" last fall. and while being the president is high stress, portraying the president or even a presidential contender comes with its own set of pressures. >> that's an acronym for national aeronautics -- >> stop it. >> if political impersonation is successful, that can result in huge ratings. >> in that case, i'm just going

to have get back to you. >> tina fey's sarah palin spoof brought major eyeballs to "snl" and made "snl"el are jent again. >> it later earned tina fey famous for their portrayals. is it possible that farrow does a better obama than obama? >> because michelle obama agreed to marry me -- >> happy anniversary, sweetie. >> a lot of it has to do with a musical ear. being able to hear the music in that person's voice and then replicate it. >> so long as audiences continue to be fascinated by the allure of washington and the drama that comes with it, portraying the president -- >> sash amalia -- sasha, malia, go to bed. >> won't be going out of fashion any time soon. ♪ i'm so in love with you >> that was fun, right? >> that was very fun. that's a lot of pressure.

>> it is a lot of pressure. interesting whenever the president sings, you can see he gets this look on his face like, yeah. i like this part. i'm in my zone. i'm good. we're good. >> don't look for that in the inauguration on monday. next, your favorite viral videos of the week including this dad's turn as hairdresser. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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this week on "today's" "weekly rewind," we look at the most talked about viral videos and a couple you may have missed. jenna? >> a couple of fun ones. crazy ones that had you talking and laughing. first up, felines feeling lucky. kiddo, the name of the cat, isn't easily fooled. he watches, waits, he wonders, and he chooses wisely. yep. next up -- kitty cat craps in

vegas, just saying. >> is that a treat -- >> a bell. >> a ball? >> a jingle bell. >> actually, impressive. >> i like this one. >> the cat's not right all the time. but the cat chooses like -- that in and of itself is amazing. how does the cat know to do that? >> is it me, or does the cat look stoned? >> there's a little catnip episode before that. you know? >> okay. >> when i was 4, my misdemeanor went into labor with my little brother leaving my dad and me at home. while i remember he had no problem picking out an outfit, that wasn't the case when it came to my hair. the contortions that this man went through for a mere ponytail was mind-boggling even to a 4-year-old. this dad not going to be outduelled turned to a vacuum cleaner for help. you heard me, a vacuum sucks up the hair ponies the tail, do we applaud the creativity? i love this. >> like the flobeee reinvented. >> a man solution. there's got to be a power tool involved. i like it. if you can get a remote control in it, all the better.

>> right? >> all the better. >> i'm sure that will come. >> pact size, then travel size -- pocket size, then tvel size. check this out -- who says technology is only for humans? this dog apparently doesn't get enough face time with his dog friends. he went nuts watching a video of his friend "other dog" using skype. [ howling ] >> can you read the subtitles? i would have dialed you up sooner but i have no fingers. the wi-fi here -- >> you have a dog, dylan? >> yes. my god, we actually did -- we did -- >> you did? >> my stroiister-in-law's dog d, we were facetiming, and her dog bosco -- >> did they go at it? >> not like this. >> maybe they need graphics. daisy and tobasco -- >> why not? >> they would act that way. right? >> then how about this modern spin on classic art? a lithuanian artist recently updated vincent van gogh's

portrait saying this is what he really looked like. it's called "revealing the truth." in the process of being revealed. >> it's going to be david bowie, no? >> like -- >> dave buscemi -- >> no. >> it is -- >> we know who it is, guys. we're -- >> oh. still vincent? >> still him. >> self-portrait. >> that same artist is also responsible for these portraits. he puts a strong blast of air like a hose -- >> i remember these. didn't you show these a couple of weeks ago? >> that was tape. >> that was scotch tape. yeah. people have enormous amount of time on their hands obviously. >> yeah. >> this is -- >> this isn't the dad with the vacuum cleaner. no. >> no, but if you take an air hose and put it your face, these are the captured pictures that are -- why that guy's wearing a helmet, i'm not sure. these are the pacts that come about. we wanted to bring an industrial air hose in, but i was voted down. apparently -- >> i can't imagine why. >> lester was worried about his hair, something like that. >> that's that. >> fun stuff.

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i like that. it's been two months since hostess went out of business, ending production of the beloved twinkie. now some devoted twinkie lovers are discovering maybe they don't have to give up their favorite treat after all. mara schiavocampo explains. >> reporter: call it life after twinkies. when hostess declared bankruptcy last november, panicked twinkie fans flocked to web sites and store shelves for their last taste of the beloved snack. >> soon the world will be out of twinkies. >> hostess said today that it is seeking a bankruptcy court's permission to go out of business. >> reporter: even stockpiling them. >> 91, 92, 93 -- okay, okay, i admit it.

i bought 100 of my favorite childhood treat. my mother's going to be so embarrassed. now some are turning to lookalikes to get their fix of cake and creamy goodness from cloud cakes to dreamies, the bingle, and even a low-calorie weight watchers version. >> hostess as a brand has huge amount of brand equity mostly driven by this consumer nostalgia toward twinkies. investors, there's no shortage of them wanting to take a bite out of that twinkie. >> reporter: sales for twinkie-like combos are in the tens of millions. but how do they taste? to find out we turned to the most discerning of taste-testers. >> it's good. >> reporter: 5 and 6-year-olds. >> yeah. i like it. >> kind of sweet. >> reporter: a sugar high, but mixed reviews. >> the twinkie. >> okay. >> reporter: now even some bakeries are getting in on the action. betty's in brooklyn makes twinks. a homemade version of the cake

classic. >> here they are! most people don't even let us put it in the bag. they want to eat it -- >> they eat them in the store. if you had to guess, how many are you selling a day? >> about 60. >> reporter: a popularity that's well deserved after pouring and baking and filling, we finally got to the tasting. i don't want to be immodest but i'm kind of a twinkie connoisseur. i'm very excited to taste these. >> okay. >> mm. just like the real thing. >> good. >> they're delicious. actually, i can't believe i'm going to say this, but i think they're kind of better than the real thing. a little taste of heaven in the twinkie afterlife. for "today," mara schiavocampo, nbc news, new york. >> better than the real thing. hostess says there's a lot of interest in buying the twinkey brand, and -- twinkie brand, and it's working to secure bidders for the cake business. there should be a decision in the next few weeks. while you're waiting, you can

try the alternatives that we have. >> do we have the real thing? >> down here. >> i need a baseline. >> you're doing the taste test -- >> this has no cream. >> here, have this one. >> thank you. thank you. i need the cream part. >> you didn't -- >> no double dipping? >> you like the dreamy one? that's the cloud cake. >> mm. these are too marshmallowy. >> what should i try? >> i'll try one that hasn't been tried. >> this one from brooklyn. >> this one -- >> the one from brooklyn. i want to try that one. everybody's eating. >> does it taste like a real twinge? >> this is -- look, i don't eat a lot of sugar. they're the greatest. what am i going tell you? all the greatest food i've had in my entire life. >> hard to differentiate. >> delicious. >> that does it for us.

good morning, everybody.

i'm angie goff. >> and i'm richard jordan. straight ahead, a big morning in the district as we kick off inauguration events. let's go to tom sherwood. >> reporter: i'm tom sherwood on the nat it's the national day of service, and you can participate. i'll have the story coming up. now to derek ward. >> reporter: getting to the inaugural events on metro and getting back. details coming up on news 4. and the sunshine is back, and the colder air is coming. i'll have a complete check of your weekend forecast. and one of the hardest working men on morning television will join us in hour studio, al roker is here to share his story of battling obesity. >> this is going to be a good show. all that and more when you join us for news 4 today.

a live look towards the national mall. we are now down to just hours before a long list of inaugural events kick off here in the nation's capital. hi, everyone. good morning. i'm richard jordan. >> and i'm angie goff. welcome to news 4 today. it is saturday, january 19th, 2013. we have made it to the weekend. >> the district is buzzing with excitement and thousands of people in town this weekend for all those inauguration events. >> but we're just two days away from president obama's second inauguration. the festivities start today. th